The Leader; A Review of Current Affairs, Politics, Literature, Art and Industry Volume 8 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 edition. Excerpt: ... was particularly glad to find as test pieces for Division I. of Mixed Choirs two sixteenth century Madrigals. I must confess, however, that I was disappointed on hearing them, so much so that I began to doubt whether in this matter we do not allow our antiquarian interest to warp our aesthetic judgment. Not having studied the test pieces beforehand I was at a loss to account fully for the unfavourable impression. I only observed that the opening of the first, "See where with rapid bound," conveyed no idea of rapidity. The rest of the words I could not catch. I have looked at them since and come to the conclusion that the tempo of these two pieces should have been about once and a-half as fast as they were taken. Let the competing choirs try the effect of singing them at about M 70 for the Minini. The sadness, too, displayed in the rendering of the second piece, is scarcely warranted by the words. The poet evidently is not quite serious in his despair. A similar remark as the last applies to the first test piece of Division II., "In going to my lonely bed." The point of the story is that a mother failing to soothe her crying child by any other means begins to chide it, with the result that the child smiles. This reminds the mother of the truth of the saying, " The falling out of faithful friends renewing is of love." Surely there is nothing tragic in this playful little poem. But all the choirs sang it as if they were dealing with some dreadful catastrophe, or at least with a subject that should stir the profoundest depths of our emotions. I may add here the remark that choirs and ensemble singers should select for these sixteenth century compositions the pitch that suits them best. The composers of that...